Benjamin Netanyahu has dominated politics in Israel for many years.
Nicknamed “Bibi”, he’s the nation’s longest-serving prime minister, main Israel amid its struggle in opposition to Hamas and assaults on what it says are .
This is what to find out about him.
What did Netanyahu do earlier than getting into politics?
Netanyahu was born in Tel Aviv in 1949 to secular Jewish mother and father.
His father was a Polish-born historian who was lively in right-wing Zionist teams, whereas his mom was born in what’s now Israel.
Netanyahu was raised in Jerusalem and the US state of Pennsylvania, making him fluent in English and his native language, Hebrew.
After ending highschool within the US, he joined the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in 1967, turning into a part of the elite particular operations unit Sayeret Matkal.
In 1972, Netanyahu — together with Ehud Barak, who would change into prime minister of Israel between 1999 and 2001 — was a part of a rescue operation for a hijacked aircraft on the Tel Aviv airport.
He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how in 1976, later working as a enterprise marketing consultant after which as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Netanyahu frequently appeared on US tv from the late Eighties, defending Israel and elevating his profile each at house and overseas.
Benjamin Netanyahu (proper) joined the IDF in 1967. Supply: Getty / Israeli Authorities Press Workplace
What political social gathering is Netanyahu the chief of?
Netanyahu was first elected to the Knesset — Israel’s parliament — in 1988 as a member of right-wing social gathering Likud.
It was fashioned in 1973 to problem the social-democratic Israel Labour Get together, which had ruled the Jewish nation-state since .
Conservative and nationalist, Likud opposes the institution of a Palestinian state beneath any situations.
Between 1988 and 1992, Netanyahu was a deputy authorities minister earlier than turning into Likud’s chief in 1993.
When did Netanyahu change into Israel’s prime minister?
Netanyahu was first elected Israel’s prime minister in 1996, aged simply 46.
He was the primary Israeli prime minister to be elected instantly by well-liked vote and the youngest chief within the nation’s historical past.
After being defeated within the 1999 election, Netanyahu retired from politics and entered the non-public sector.
However his absence from politics was short-lived, and he returned in 2002 as a overseas affairs minister earlier than taking up the finance portfolio in 2003.
Benjamin Netanyahu was first elected Israel’s prime minister in 1996. Supply: Getty / Menahem Kahana/AFP
In 2005, Netanyahu resigned from the federal government in protest to its plan to withdraw from settlements within the occupied territories, claiming it could enable the creation of a base for “Islamic terrorism”.
Mere months later, Netanyahu once more grew to become Likud’s chief after Ariel Sharon left to arrange a brand new centrist social gathering, Kadima.
After forming a coalition with different right-wing events following the 2009 election, Netanyahu started his second stint as prime minister.
Between 2018 and 2022, challenges in forming and retaining a secure governing coalition threw Israeli politics into turmoil and led to 5 snap Knesset elections being held in lower than 4 years.
Throughout this era, Netanyahu was additionally .
After the March 2021 election, a variety of left- and right-wing events fashioned a coalition to .
However it quickly fell aside and with probably the most right-wing and religiously conservative governments in Israel’s historical past.
What have Israeli-Palestinian relations been like beneath Netanyahu?
The Israeli-Palestinian peace course of made some progress within the Nineties however has successfully collapsed beneath Netanyahu’s management.
He has by no means engaged in substantive peace talks with the Palestinians, as an alternative overseeing a speedy enlargement of beneath worldwide legislation.
Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed his refusal to permit the Palestinian Authority a task in post-war Gaza.
Netanyahu’s authorities, which incorporates hardline pro-settlement teams, has additionally overseen an increase in armed raids in opposition to West Financial institution militant strongholds comparable to Jenin, which he labelled a “nest of terrorists”.
together with Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant and three senior Hamas leaders on suspicion of struggle crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity allegedly dedicated from October 7 onwards.
The request for the warrants is but to be accepted by ICC judges.
Is Netanyahu well-liked in Israel?
Earlier than the Hamas-Israel struggle, Netanyahu was revered by loyal Likud social gathering followers for his said mission to defend the Jewish folks in opposition to all threats, from militant teams to arch-enemy Iran.
However to his opponents, he was the “crime minister” who, whereas combating corruption fees in courtroom, was additionally main a push to curb the powers of the judiciary in a approach they feared would undermine democracy.
Netanyahu has who accuse him of not doing sufficient to seal a ceasefire deal that may free hostages seized by Hamas on October 7.
With that criticism has come a major drop in assist for the prime minister, with the vast majority of Israelis (58 per cent) having a considerably or very unfavourubale view of him, in keeping with a survey performed by the Pew Analysis Heart between March and April this yr.
However the assaults on Hezbollah in Lebanon have given him a lift in reputation, with the most recent ballot discovering most Israelis are actually extra supportive of Netanyahu than the vast majority of his rivals.
With reporting by Agence France-Presse